The Photograph
The 49th Alain Briot Print of the Month photograph is titled Playa Reflections 2. It was created in Death Valley National Park.

In Spring of 2006 I created an image which is now featured on the cover of my book Mastering Landscape Photography. This image was a breakthough for me, because it represented a way of seeing that I had not explored before.

In the Spring of 2007 I returned to Death Valley, motivated to further explore the visual possibilities offered by the Playa area of Death Valley, the ancient lake bed which, depending on the rain patterns, is either totally dry or exhibits some temporary pools and small streams of water. These pools and streams are only there for a short time, evaporating and soaking into the ground at a surprisingly quick rate.

On the day I arrived in Death Valley in 2007 I immediately drove to the location where I created Playa Reflections in 2006. There I was excited to find numerous pools and streams of water. Those were shallow, but the patterns in them were fantastic. The sky was not as cloudy as the year before, but I was able to work the scene so as to make the best out of the situation, using the patterns in the sand and the water in conjunction with the patterns of the mountains and the clouds to form a composition where all the elements came together. I used yellow and blue as my primary colors, playing on the opposition of these colors to create tension in the image. The clouds required the most care in order to render the softness and the movement I captured without losing detail or without making the sky too light or too dark. The water in the foreground is the key to the image, the luminescence in the water being what first attracted me to this image.

The Master File tells the rest of the story for this image. It is provided to you on a CD which ships with the artwork at no extra cost. This master file shows you how I optimized this image. Information about the photograph, including exposure time, lens used and other technical details --basically all you need to know to create this image yourself if you want to-- are also provided in a separate file on the CD. If you are not familiar with what a master file is make sure to read my essay on this subject.

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This photograph is available matted, or matted and framed in a Mahogany Finish Frame. Below is a sample of the moulding. The mat is white, archival Bainbridge. Mounting is with hinged archival tape. All materials used are archival.

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